Group communication technologies on the Internet allow users with common interest to collaborate, share files, chat with one another, multi-cast audio and video for presentations and group meetings, and engage in multi-player gaming. Indeed, the ability for group formation in an ad hoc basis present significant advantages to allow users with common interests to gather in a virtual area or group that may be segregated from the general Internet population thereby facilitating useful discussion in collaboration between such like minded individuals. Currently, however, most group communication and formation takes place in a server centric environment whereby all communication flows to or through large central servers to which individuals may connect to join and participate in the group.
Peer-to-peer technologies enable users to contact one another in a serverless environment, free from the constraints of server based Internet communication. In a peer-to-peer based system, a users anonymity and privacy may be maintained since communication occurs directly between peers within the network. However, while individual communication and file sharing is relatively well established in peer-to-peer networks, establishing, discovering, joining, maintaining, and sharing information in a group peer-to-peer environment is not well established. However, individuals have grown accustomed to the benefits provided by such grouping technology in the server centric environment.